Lõigud

Lõigud is an Estonian noun that designates parts that have been separated from a larger whole. In common usage it most often translates as "sections," "passages," or "clips." The word comes from the verb lõikama, meaning to cut or trim, and it functions as the plural form of lõik.

Lõigud arise in several domains where a piece is singled out from a larger text or media. In literature and academic writing, a lõik refers to a passage or excerpt from a longer work. In journalism and editing, the term is used for selected excerpts that may be quoted, summarized, or republished. In film and video production, a lõik denotes a cut or an edited segment, with lõigud referring to a sequence of such segments within a cut.

The meaning of lõigud is largely determined by context. It typically describes a distinct piece of text or media, but the same term can be applied across different media to emphasize that a portion has been separated from the whole. In extended or technical phrases, it may be combined with domain-specifying modifiers, such as kirjanduslõik (a literary excerpt) or videolõik (a video clip).

Related terms include katkend, which is also used to denote excerpts or quotations in Estonian. Lõigud exemplify a productive way of talking about partial pieces within larger works, across literature, journalism, and media editing.